Water-purifying apparatus.



Patented May 27, I902 J. ROAN. WATER PURIFYING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Feb. 12, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

JAMES ROAN, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA! WATER-PURIFYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,826, dated May 27, 1902. Application filed February 12,1902. Serial No. SIS {783. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES Hour, of Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Purifying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The apparatus which I have devised while adapted for use wherever it is necessary or desirable to purify water has been designed with more particular reference to its employment in connection with refrigerating and ice-making machinery, and it is in this connection that I shall describe it.

The primary object of the apparatus is to take care of the waste Water from the skimmers or skim-tanks and reboiler of an icemaking or refrigerating plant. This water, which is a considerable percentage of what is actually used, under ordinary conditions goes to waste; but by the employment of my apparatus it can be reclaimed, purified, and returned into the general circulation of the system.

I will first describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the manner in which my improvements are or may be carried into efiect and will then point out more particularly in the claims those features which I believe to be new and of my own invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is for its left-hand half an end elevation and for its right-hand half a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A is the tank or body of the apparatus, preferably made as a single casting, and B is the cover therefor, which is tightly bolted to the top of the tank, as indicated. The tank is divided by vertical cross-walls a a into three compartments the settling-compartment 0, the filter-compartment D, and the purifiedwater compartment E.

F is the watersupply pipe, having two branches F F the one entering the settlingcompartment, the other discharging into the sewer or other waste-conduit. Each branch is controlled by a cook or valve f f, by opening the one or the other of which the water can be directed into the apparatus or allowed to run to waste, as the case may be, and there is a third cook f, by which water can be shut off from both branches.

Within the compartment 0 are a series of vertical baffle-plates c 0, extending crosswise of the tank. The bottom plates 0 are preferably cast in one with the body of the tank. The top plates a fit in grooves 0 cast upon the inner faces of the side walls of the tank and closed at the bottom, so as to form pockets in which the ends of the plates 0' fit andare held. By this arrangement the water in its passage through the settling-compartment is compelled to travel in an up-and-down tortuous path, and in so doing deposits much of the solid matter it holds upon the floor of the settling compartments between the lower baffle -plates 0, whence it can be removed through the valve-controlled draw-off pipes 0 Beyond the last baffle-plate c is a valvecontrolled gooseneck or dip-pipe 0 through which the water is carried off from the settling-compartment and is delivered to the filter-compartment D at a point near the bottom of the latter. v

Upon the exterior of one of the walls of the compartment C (in this instance the front wall) and preferably cast in one therewith is an overflow-receptacle 0, provided at the bottom with a draw-off pipe 0 and at the top or upper end with an overflow-opening 0, which is formed in the wall of compartment 0 and is of such length as to be common to all of the subdivisions ofthat compartment created by the upper bathe-plates c. This overflowopening is located above the normal level of the water passing through the apparatus.

The parts last described can be used as a skimmer to carry off the oil, grease, and other lighter impurities which as they enter the apparatus along with the water may accumulate upon the top of the body of water in the settling-tank. Matters which thus accumulate can be drawn off from time to time by closing the cock on the dip -pipe c or on the pipe which leadsthe purified water out from the apparatus. By closing said cook the entering Water will be caused to back up in the settling-compartment, thus raising the waterlevel therein until the overflow-opening 0 is reached, when the oil, 820., will overflow from the settling-compartment through this opening into the overflow-receptacle O, whence they will pass offthrough pipe 0'.

The bottom of the filter-compartment 1) ex tends below the bottom of the main body of the tank A, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and is provided with a valve-controlled draw-off pipe D. The cross-partitions a form the end Walls of this filter-compartment, and on the inner face of these walls are horizontal ledges a, upon which rest the horizontal gratings or perforated diaphragms d, which subdivide the filter-compartment and form floors upon which the filtering materials are supported. The water from the settling-compartment enters the filter below the lowermost perforated floor 01 therein. The space between this floor and the one next above is filled with a suit able filtering medium, preferably gravel,- and the division next above is packed also with a suitable filtering medium, preferably sponge. Above this is a perforated pressure plate or diaphragm d, which is held down by suitable pressure appliances-as, for example, the spider-yoke d having its outer ends adapted to passunder retaining lugs or ribs d on the Walls a and having at its center a screwthreaded hole for the passage of the pressurescrew (1 which bears at its lower end upon the holding-plate d. The front of the filter is closed by removable plates (1 tightly packed and bolted to the body of the tank, thus permitting access to be had to the interior of. the filter in order to repack or renew the filtering media or for any other purpose.

The purified water after having passed up through the filtering media is discharged through an opening d (just above the top perforated plate d) into the end compartment E, whence it is carried off bya valvecontrolled gooseneck or dip-pipe 6 back into the circulating system of the refrigerating plant in connection with which this apparatus may be employed or into any suitable storage-tank or other receptacle, according to the use to which it is be put.

purpose to duplicate the apparatus-that is to say, to use one such as herein described to receive and take care of the Waste Water from the reboiler, skimmer, and other portions of a refrigerating plant, and another one of similar construction, but of larger capacity, to

preliminarily purify the condense-water supply before it enters the reboiler, for in this way I can prevent the passageto the reboiler of a large percentage of the impurities which under existing conditions it receives.

Having described my improvements and the best way of carrying the same into practical effect, I state in conclusion that I do not limit myself narrowly to the structural details hereinbefore set forthin illustration of my invention; but

What I claim herein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a water-purifying apparatus a settling-compartment provided with a valve-coutrolled outlet and a series of baffle-plates whereby the water is caused to travel the length of the compartmentin a tortuous path, and with an, overflow-opening which extends practically the length of the compartment and is located above the normal level of the water therein, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. A water-purifying apparatus consisting of a settling-compartment, a filter-compartment and a purified-water receptacle or compartment, communicating one with the other in the order named, an inlet-pipe leading the water to be purified into the settling-compartment,an exit-pipe for leading off the purified water from the purified-Water receptacle, valves for controlling the flow of water through the several compartments and an overflow-opening formed in and extending practically the length of the settling-compartment at a pointabove the normal level of the water therein, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. A Water-purifying apparatus composed of a tank having a removable cover and divided lengthwise by cross-partitions into a settling-compartment, a filter-compartment and a purified-Water compartment, communicating with each other in the order named, valves for controlling the flow of water, inlet and exit pipes, removable side plates on the filter-compartment, baffle-plates in the setthug-compartment, and an overflow-opening formed in and extending practically the length of the settling-compartment and located above the normal level of the water therein, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of February, 1902.

' JAMES ROAN.

YVitnesses:

W. ALLEN TYLER, J. SANDERS MILLER.

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